


even in the darkest of times

by Anonymous



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Canon Dialogue, Canonical Character Death, Cedric Diggory Dies, Dad Sirius Black, During Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Harry Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Harry Potter Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s), Hurt/Comfort, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, SO, Very very minor, i held myself at gunpoint to write this, quotes from canon, rated t for general premise and also sirius does swear once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 08:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18687691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: listen i. think abt this a Lot





	even in the darkest of times

_Harry flt himself slam flat into the ground; his face was pressed into grass; the smell of it filled his nostrils. He had closed his eyes while the Portkey transported him, and he kept them closed now. He did not move. All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of him; his head was swimming so badly he felt as though the ground beneath him were swaying like the deck of a ship. To hold himself steady, he tightened his hold on the two things he was still clutching: the smooth, cold handle of the Triwizard Cup and Cedric's body. He felt as though he would slide away into the blackness gathering at the edges of his brain if he let go of either of them. Shock and exhaustion kept him on the ground, breathing in the smell of the grass, waiting . . . waiting for someone to do something . . . something to happen . . . and all the while, his scar burned dully on his forehead . . ._

_A torrent of sound deafened and confused him; there were voices everywhere, footsteps, screams . . . He remained where he was, his face screwed up against the noise, as though it were a nightmare that would pass . . ._

Familiar hands grabbed at his shoulders, turning him roughly over.

"Harry!" The voice was high and strained. " _Harry_!"

When he opened his eyes, he found stars shining down on him, revealed through the high wall of onlookers, and Sirius Black's grey eyes wide with worry. He sighed, seemingly relieved, and moved further down to gather the boy into his arms.

"You're alright now," he whispered. "C'mon, on your feet."

Harry's head swam as he was pulled up. He shut his eyes again, tighter this time, and struggled against his godfather's grip. Every whispered word pounded in his ears. He released the cup and reached blindly for Sirius's shoulder. The man placed his own hand over Harry's.

"He's back," Harry whispered. "He's back. Voldemort's back."

"Christ — Harry, come on. Get up."

"What's going on? What's happened?"

Cornelius Fudge's voice made Harry's head spin all the more.

"My God — Diggory!" He whispered. "Dumbledore — he's dead!"

The words echoed through the crowd as Sirius tried to pry Harry's hand from Cedric's cooling body.

"Harry, let go of him," Fudge urged, but he couldn't. He  _couldn't_.

"He wanted me to bring him back," Harry muttered — he had to fulfill the wish of the dead boy. "He wanted me to bring him back to his parents . . . "

"And you did. You  _did_. He's  _home_ , it's okay. It's alright now. Now let him go, come on."

Sirius wrapped one of Harry's arms around his shoulders and pulled him to his feet, holding him firmly to his side with his other hand to keep him from swaying too badly. His head was pounding. He leaned heavily into his godfather, grateful that he could keep his weight off of his injured leg. He bowed his head as the crowd jostled around them, pressing further, drawing ever closer- "What's happened? "What's wrong with him?" " _Diggory's dead_!"

"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge said loudly. "He's ill, he's injured — Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands . . . "

"I'll take Harry," Sirius said firmly. "I'll take him-"

"No, I would prefer-"

"Dumbledore, Amos Diggory's running . . . he's coming over . . . Don't you think we should tell him — before he sees-?"

"Harry, stay here-"

"Like Hell he is! Look at the state he's in!"

"Dumbledore, maybe you'd prefer if I-?"

"Shove off, Mad-Eye.  _I'm_ taking him."

"Dumbledore said stay."

"Well, your parents didn't name him as your godfather."

"Sirius, let me-"

"I said fuck off!" Sirius snapped, not bothering to bite back the growl coming from low in his throat as he barked at the other man. He lowered his voice before he spoke next. "Come on, Harry."

Harry didn't bother to argue. And neither, apparently, did Moody, as Sirius led him through the crowd. He could hear people talking, and Sirius talking back, but couldn't quite make out the words. Their voices were soft as they went across the lawn, past the lake and the Durmstrang ship, up the cobblestone path back to the castle. It was warmly lit and helped to soothe his frayed nerves as the small group walked. He lifted his head when someone put their hand on his shoulder.

"Harry," they said gently, "are you alright?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but all that he could manage was a slight moan, and he lowered his heavy head once more.

"Hey, don't worry about it, mate. We're almost to the hospital wing."

Harry's tongue was thick in his mouth. His lungs burned with every breath. He reached out blindly to whoever was beside him, and they took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I told you to save some of your chocolate frogs," the first voice chastised. "He sure looks like he could use one."

Sirius couldn't help but laugh. "You sound like Moony."

"Well, it's not like he wasn't right about that. It helps."

"She's got a point, Padfoot."

"See? Even Ron agrees."

"Oi!"

**Author's Note:**

> listen i. think abt this a Lot


End file.
